Sunday, April 17, 2011

Norwescon Schedule

So I'll take advantage of the Sunday-off feature of this A to Z challenge to mention that next weekend is Norwescon, at the Doubletree in Seatac. I've been asked to contribute to a few panels this year, and hope to break free of my deadlines to see people!

Friday 10am Cascade 9 How Game Mechanics Cross Platforms

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games have revolutionized computer gaming, and become the dominant mode for computer role-playing games. They certainly learned a thing or two from pen-and-paper (PnP) RPGs. Now many PnP games today are “borrowing” a concept or two from video games. Board games and RPGs even incorporate elements from card games. Join our panel in a discussion of the increasingly blurry lines of game development.

Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Rodney Thompson, Jeff Grubb, Andy Megowan

Friday 4pm Evergreen 1&2 Writing and Story Development for Computer Games

This panel of writers of both fiction and games will explore the overwhelming appeal of computer games and the importance of writing and story development in world building and player immersion. From pitch to production, from pen-and-paper and live-action to multi-player worlds, the panelists discuss the process of fantasy world building for original concepts or licensed properties. They elaborate on how story development can affect game system design, character design, and environments.

How has Epic Fantasy evolved in the 50-plus years since Tolkien hit it big? What are the archetypal elements that keep people reading epic fantasy? What's new and fresh in this arena?

M.H. (Maggie) Bonham, Spencer Ellsworth, Jeff Grubb

Saturday 10am Cascade 4 Freelancing 101

One of the best, sure-fire ways of writing for the gaming industry is by doing freelance work. Great! But how does one do that? What are the benefits and drawbacks to freelancing? Our panel of freelancers and the people who hire them, will share their stories and give advice on how to be a successful freelancer for the gaming industry.

Jeff Combos, Liz Courts, Randall N. Bills, Jeff Grubb

Saturday Noon Evergreen 3&4 Crunch vs. Fluff: FIGHT!

Gaming, especially roleplaying games, have essentially two elements. The “crunch” is the rules that define the game system, and dictate how to simulate real-world actions. The fluff is the fiction that gives the game its setting, and aids in the players roleplaying within that setting. Not surprisingly, gamers are often divided as to which element is most important to a game, and those divisions can be strong! Our gaming panelists engage in a civil discussion on realism vs. roleplaying, rules-heavy wargames vs. rules-light/theater-based games.

With the continued impact of electronic gaming against traditional gaming, do people still want to play our games? It seems that young kids today are playing more video games than tabletop games, right? Yet, despite the annual doom-and-gloom bloggers, the hobby seems to be flourishing. Why?